Protective guard for wrist watches



May 15, 1956 J. w. WARD PROTECTIVE GUARD FOR WRIST WATCHES Filed Oct. 15, 1951 John W. Ward IN VEN TOR. BY QM W'fiem;

United States Patent PROTECTIVE GUARD FOR WRIST WATCHES John W. Ward, Geneva, Ala., assignor of ten per cent to Wells R. Draughon and ten per cent to G. A. Ward, both of Geneva, Ala.

Application October 15, 1951, Serial No. 251,360 2 Claims. (Cl. 224-4) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in accessories and facilities which are usable in conjunction with a conventional wrist watch and an attached wrist encircling and retaining band and which are employed to safeguard the watch against damage from moisture and the opposing forces of magnetic attraction.

The primary object of the invention is to cope with the problems stated and to do so satisfactorily through the medium of simple and practical structural means, characterized by appropriately constructed devices, which are capable of achieving the end results which are desired.

in carrying out these aims, the wrist watch is saddled, through the medium of its attaching and retaining band, on an elevated basing rest, the latter being aptly carried by a complemental self-accommodating bracelet which is applied and held in place by the stated hand.

More specifically, the invention has to do with a shape conforming flexibly resilient bracelet which is adapted to substantially embrace the wearers Wrist while occupying a position interposed between the Watch and band, and an elevating rest or base for seating the watch in a position based upon the wearers wrist, said rest being attached to but flexibly suspended above the coacting portions of said bracelet.

With a view toward satisfying the over-all requirements of the concept, it is a further objective to construct the bracelet and rest from a moldable thermo-plastic or an equivalent material having compensating properties which render the complete device substantially non-corrosive, impervious to the passage of moisture, and nonmagnetic.

Another object is to provide structural means which lends itself to reduction to practice in at least two distinguishable embodiments which are generically characterized by a bracelet and complemental rest having the aforementioned structural and functional properties so far generally stated and hereinafter more explicitly set forth.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

in the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a perspective view of a watch saddling and suspending device constructed in accordance With the principles of the invention hereinunder advisement;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a view in section and also partly in elevation, showing the device of Figures 1 and 2 and the man- I161 of using the same;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the assemblage appearing in Figure 3, observing the same in a direction from left to right or from right to left, as the case may be; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view, an edge view, showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings through the aid of reference numeral and accompanying lead lines, the bracelet is denoted by the numeral 6 and the complemental watch elevating and saddling rest or base is denoted by the numeral 8. With a view toward fulfilling the requirements of the objects of the invention already related, both parts 6 and 8 are preferably constructed from the same material, a material having compensating properties in that it is non-corrosive, impervious to the passage of moisture and non-magnetic and therefore susceptible of neutralizing opposing magnetic forces. Experiments with a commercial thermo-plastic composition have shown that such a material is appropriate but not absolutely essential.

The bracelet 6 is of general C-shaped form and includes a bowed or arcuate bight portion 10 and suitably curvilinear end portions 1212, the latter being somewhat widened as shown in the drawings and having spaced ends provided with transverse slots 14-14 to accommodate connectable end portions of the Wrist watch strap, band or other retainer 16. in practice, the ends of the band are shown passing through the slots and are fastened together. in the case of the use of a flexibly resilient band, portions of the latter are likewise passed through the slots and joined with the adapters provided therefor on the conventional wrist watch 18. The rest 8 is in the form of a small, substantially rectangular plate 20 having marginal reinforcing ribs 22-22 if desired, having a clearance notch 24 for the winding stem of the watch and having reduced end portions 26 removably but snugly fitted into keeper slots for apertures 28 provided in the bight portion of the bracelet. It will be noticed, of course, that the major portion of the rest 8 is suitably arched and spaced from the underlying portion it) of the bracelet 6. With the parts thus arranged, they may be interposed between the watch and strap in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. When in this position, the Watch is elevated so that it will not, under ordinary circumstances, be damaged by perspiration and will not be affected to any appreciable extent by opposing magnetic forces.

The embodiment or form of the invention shown in Figure 5 is basically the same as that already described. Specifically, this embodiment comprises a C-shaped bracelet 6a having a curvate bight portion 10a and slotted end portions 12a12a. The only difference is in the rest 80. This comprises an elongated strap or band of thermoplastic material 30 having its end portions fastened down at 3232 and its intermediate portion spaced and provided with a clearance notch 34.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. For use in conjunction with a wrist watch and an attached wrist encircling band, a protector of the type described comprising a resilient substantially C-shaped bracelet adapted to embrace a wearers wrist and having spaced opposing ends, and a watch supporting rest superposed on said bracelet intermediate the ends of the latter, said rest having an intermediate portion spaced outwardly from the bracelet and a pair of end portions connected to the bracelet at circumferentially spaced points, the end portions of the bracelet being provided with transverse slots constituting passages for a watch band on the outer surface of the bracelet, said bracelet being provided at said circumferentially spaced points with transversely elongated openings, together with a pair of inturned tongues provided at the ends of said rest and rernovably seated in said openings.

2. A protective guard for a Wrist Watch provided with a holding strap comprising a resilient substantially C- shaped bracelet adapted to embrace a Wearers Wrist While interposed between the Watch band and the wearers arm, thereby protecting the Watch and Watch band, and an elevated U-shaped rest having a bight portion spaced from said bracelet and depending leg portions attached to said bracelet, said bight portion being adapted to engage a watch and maintain it in spaced relation to the bracelet, the opposite end portions of the C-shaped bracelet being provided with band receiving slots, the leg portions of the U-shaped rest being in the form of tongue members, said bracelet being provided with a pair of circumferentially spaced transverse slots for removably receiving said tongues.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,260,278 Smith Mar. 19, 1918 1,961,734 Bieger June 5, 1934 2,182,830 Vedder Dec. 12, 1939 2,342,804 Hiller Feb. 29, 1944 2,546,859 Inne Mar. 27, 1951 2,553,089 Holder May 15, 1951 2,649,230 Thompson Aug. 18, .1953

OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, December 1946, page 214. 

